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Paws for the Cause

October 6, 2019 | 9 AM - Noon

Fox Chase Cancer Center will host the 20th Annual Paws for the Cause dog walk on Sunday, October 6, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. In addition to a one-mile walk around the Fox Chase campus, participants will enjoy food, music, professional pet photos, entertainment for children, contests and prizes, and more. A variety of vendors and animal rescue organizations also will be on hand on the day of the event. Since its first year, Paws for the Cause has raised more than $500,000 for cancer research at Fox Chase.

20th Anniversary Ambassadors

The event, which is organized by Fox Chase’s Board of Associates, will take place at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the Reimann Lot. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the walk kicks off at 10:45 a.m. Generous support for this event is being provided by title sponsor West Pharmaceutical Services.

We hope you enjoyed last year’s event. You can find photos from the day on our Flickr page.

Thank you again for supporting the Board of Associates and Fox Chase Cancer Center. We look forward to seeing you again for our 20th annual Paws for the Cause in the fall.

Lori Giampaolo, Patient Ambassador

Lori Giampaolo noticed a lump in her left breast in December 2017. After a mammogram and an ultrasound at a local hospital, she was immediately scheduled for a biopsy three days before Christmas. Lori was diagnosed with Stage 3 ductal carcinoma which had spread to a few lymph nodes. She was HER2-positive, estrogen positive, and progesterone negative.

After a whirlwind of MRIs, CT scans, bone scans, blood work, and echocardiograms, she learned that her cancer was contained. It was then that Lori decided to pursue a second opinion at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Lori met with Angela Jain, MD, medical oncologist, and Alison Aggon, DO, FACS, breast cancer surgical oncologist. “I knew immediately that I wanted to be treated at Fox Chase. Both Dr. Jain and Dr. Aggon were confident, compassionate, and firmly believed that I could beat this,” said Lori.

“Prior to being at Fox Chase, all I heard were statistics. No one told me I could beat it. I wanted an oncology team that believed in my ability to win and who would fight as hard as I would.”

Then came the time for Lori and her husband to break the news of her diagnosis to their two children, Julia and Daniel. “Though it was an incredibly difficult conversation to have, we had the pleasure of telling our children that I was being treated at one of the country’s premier cancer treatment facilities,” Lori said. “While they were terrified at the time, they soon began to see that I truly was receiving the best care and attention.”

In January 2018, Lori began chemotherapy and targeted cell therapies at Fox Chase every three weeks for a year under the direction of Jain. In May 2018 Aggon performed a bilateral mastectomy and removed four lymph nodes.

Neal S. Topham, MD, FACS, chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, completed her reconstruction in September 2018. “I felt like my complete self again,” said Lori.

Penny R. Anderson, MD, chief of the Division of Breast and Gynecologic Radiation Oncology, managed Lori’s five-week course of radiation treatments. Her final infusion took place on December 21, a year to the day that she received her initial biopsy.

“It was a long journey, but I got through it with the help of my treatment team and incredible support system of family and friends,” said Lori. “I am thrilled to participate in Paws for the Cause, a worthwhile cause to help relieve the burden for other patients.”

Join us along with Lori at the 20th Annual Paws for the Cause! Collapse

Dr. Sameer Patel, Physician Ambassador

Sameer A. Patel, MD, FACS, came to Fox Chase Cancer Center in 2007 after completing a fellowship in microsurgical reconstruction. Since he decided he wanted to enter the field of plastic surgery, he knew he wanted to specialize in reconstruction. “I chose this specialty to improve quality of life for patients by helping to restore appearance and function after cancer treatment,” said Patel.

Patel specializes in breast cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, and skin cancer. He is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network breast cancer panel. Patel was also listed in Top Doctors 2019 by Philadelphia Magazine.

“It is important to me to spend as much time as needed during my consultations with each person,” said Patel. “From the first meeting through recovery, my goal is to provide the best care possible and to ensure my patients know and understand what to expect.”

In addition to performing surgery, Patel studies surgical outcomes for head and neck cancer patients to find new ways of maximizing function and improving appearance, including the use of advanced computer-aided, patient-specific surgical planning techniques. He also gathers research data on breast reconstruction procedures to determine which options may be best for different types of patients.

Patel has attended Paws for the Cause for many years with his family and is proud to be the Physician Ambassador this year. Join Patel and his dog Monte at this year’s 20th annual Paws for the Cause!

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